Consequences
by Anastashia
Summary: The consequences for Tyr and Beka of events that follow "The Tunnel At The End Of The Light"
1. Default Chapter

Title: Consequences  
Author: Anastashia  
Series: Andromeda  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Tyr/Beka, but with a twist  
Archive: Please ask if interested.  
Spoilers: minor from both seasons  
Summary: While I am mostly exploring the consequences of what happened to Tyr and Beka after Tunnel there will be some references to specifics of torture and it's results. The entire crew will play a part.  
Disclaimer: The characters portrayed her belong to Tribune Entertainment and not me. I am gaining no monetary profit from this story.  
Consequences  
  
Beka wasn't concerned with what had happened to her or even where they had been just then. She was more concerned with Tyr. The Nietzschean had just laid there on Med Deck since they had returned to Andromeda after being rescued by Harper and Dylan.   
  
Despite Trance's ministrations he had been totally uncommunicative. It was clear he had been brutally tortured, both physically and seemingly emotionally, while she herself was, apparently at least, uninjured. She wondered guiltly if what had happened to him was a result of him protecting her, as he had said he would when they had set out from the Andromeda with 'Rosie'.   
  
She had tried multiple times to get through to him. She couldn't even get him to look at her. It was no consolation that none of the others could either. Often he would close his eyes when they approached; sometimes turn away, his grimace of pain all too obvious. It was like a knife stabbing into her gut.  
  
But he had never made a sound, although Andromeda had informed Beka and Dylan of the copious silent tears he had shed when he thought he was alone at night. That knowledge tore into her very soul too. Perhaps that was the emotional damage that had been done to her, she found herself now even more 'connected to Tyr' then she had been before. Now she would need to figure out what exactly that connection meant to her, and what she had to do about it.   
  
*********************************************  
Tyr had steeled himself again when Beka had come onto Med Deck. He couldn't let her know what he was going through, what had happened to them both, what had been taken from them both. What he couldn't understand is how their enemy had masked it, so that only he, who struggled to face the implications of it, knew. Even Trance had not discovered it.   
  
Only Tamerlane, only Tamerlane would be his now, and Beka, Beka would have nothing. He struggled to keep the tears from filling his eyes again as he forced himself through the physical pain of turning away from her. He couldn't let her make eye contact for fear she would see it in his eyes.  
  
Beka reached out for him and laid her hand gently on his shoulder, and it happened, he made a sound, a sound that told of his deep pain and it tore into her. Carefully she rolled him toward her and she saw the tears, and for the briefest of instants their eyes made contact. She was staggered by the pain she saw. Despite his physical condition, which remained tenuous at best, she knew immediately that he had suffered a far greater emotional injury.   
  
She knew too, in a flash, that so had she, but she didn't know what it was and that scared her, scared her like she had never been scared before. "Tell me!" she demanded. His eyes lept up to hers again and he shouted "NO!" more vehemently then he ever had in her memory, before pulling himself away and turning to the wall, moaning in agony as he collapsed into a fit of shuddering tears.   
  
"Tyr," she said quietly. She reached out again and started gently stroking his hair. Haltingly, "You have to tell me. I need to know, don't I?" She felt another violent shudder run through him.   
  
"I...it was my fault" The knife plunged back into her at the pain in his voice. Again, more quietly, in agony, "it was my fault."  
  
"No," she said "it was my choice, my choice to go as much as yours." She moved her hand to stroke his cheek.  
  
"Not now" he said, the agony still clear in his voice. "Not yet. Please, trust me." He turned to look into her eyes again.  
  
She knew it then, "I do...don't I? But then you already knew that, didn't you?" The last was as much a revelation to herself as a question to him. "So rest then, you look like you need it." A small smile played about her lips as she bent over and lightly kissed his forehead. Rising she trailed her hand down his chest taking his in hers and then letting it slide out as she pulled away from him, turned and saw Trance standing in the hatch. Her smile became a rueful one, "How much did you see?" she asked.  
  
"Enough" replied Trance an enigmatic smile covering her face.   
  
Beka shook her head gently and headed for the hatch. "Take care of him." she said quietly as she passed Trance and entered the passageway.  
  
What Tyr had failed to consider was that now that he had responded to one of the crew, the others would, of course, expect the same interaction. He lay on his back warily watching the exchange between Beka and Trance. After Beka had left Trance turned back to him. "How are you feeling?"  
  
He had to think for a bit. Actually he felt lousy, the pain he was in was excruciating. He really wasn't ready for anything yet, but he had at least had to respond to Beka's question. Yet he didn't have enough energy to deal with anything else. He had to concentrate on just them now. Anything else would be to their detriment. It was something he knew neither of them could afford in the long run.   
  
Trance watched as he laid there thinking. "What do you need to tell me?" she asked suddenly locking her eyes to his. He wanted to pull away from that gaze. He remembered when she had done something similar before, when she had, by just talking, brought him around to doing something that he wouldn't have at the outset considered to his advantage. Yet somehow it had turned out that way. But he couldn't let her, not this time, at least not yet.   
  
But the solitary Kodiak, the one who had an absolute necessity now to be Kodiak, wavered for just a second, considering that for the present the rest of the crew of the Andromeda was indeed his pride. So he didn't look away but said "It isn't time yet, I'm not strong enough to share it with anyone yet. I have to concentrate on Beka if either of us is going to survive. It's all I'm able to do right now."  
  
Trance smiled at him, considering how much he really had told her. She stepped closer and planted a light kiss on his cheek struggling to contain her laughter at his shocked expression as she pulled away. "Then Beka is right, you need to rest. I'll get your medication and leave you to it." Which she did, dimming the lights as she exited Med Deck.  
  
It was a beginning, but she knew that both Tyr and Beka would need all of them in the months ahead, because Tyr was hiding something very serious and getting them all through the revelation was going to be very difficult indeed.   
  
*********************************************  
When Dylan walked onto Med Deck Tyr sighed. "That bad?" asked the Captain.  
  
"Well, it hurts, yes" said Tyr giving Dylan one of those exasperated looks Dylan had come to expect from him.  
  
"Want to talk about it?"   
  
This time the look was darts and the "No!" rather emphatic. "I need to talk about it first with Beka, and she isn't ready yet." Then he looked away and his voice took on a far away quality, "or rather I'm not ready to tell her about it yet."   
  
The pain in Tyr's voice shook Dylan. Whatever it was that had happened to the two of them must have been terrible, if Beka couldn't even remember it and Tyr was afraid to tell her. The concept of Tyr being truly afraid of anything was daunting to Dylan.  
  
*********************************************  
Tyr awoke with a scream on his lips and wasn't fast enough to bite it back. Holo-Rommie immedaitely materialized beside him as the Med Deck lights came up slightly. He balled a fist and pounded the pallet below him in frustration. Squeezing his eyes shut he attempted to pre-empt the question on her lips with sarcasm. "I don't believe I called for you ship."  
  
"I distinctly heard a sound that indicated someone needed assistance." she came back immediately.  
  
He laughed at that but at the end of the laugh came a sob.  
  
"You really don't have to go through this all alone you know." she said softly.  
  
He opened his eyes and looked at her, realization dawning in them. "You've seen it all haven't you, and you've told the others."  
  
"Dylan and Beka"  
  
He cringed, then anger welled up in him, "You had no right!"  
  
"You are a member of my crew and it's my duty to monitor and ensure your well-being when I can. Someone needed to be aware of what you were going through."  
  
"You had no right!" he repeated in anger.  
  
It was then that the avatar entered Med Deck.  
  
"Get out!" he screamed.  
  
"Well at least you've calmed down a little and you're talking to me."  
the avatar said.   
  
Tyr reached out and picking up the cup on the bedside table flung it at her. She stood absolutely still except for her arm which shot out in front of her to snatch it from its rather accurate trajectory toward her head. "and I see your weapon's officer reflexes haven't been affected,..much."  
  
Tyr couldn't take it any more and burst out laughing again.  
  
"Feel better?"  
  
"For the moment, but it isn't going to last unfortunately."  
  
"Then take it one day at a time. Can I get you anything to help you sleep? Trance has it ready."  
  
He considered this, contrary to what he'd hoped the nightmares continued to be overwhelming, even now after he'd clawed his way out of the hole that his inability to respond to the others initially had dug for him. "No, I don't think I..."  
  
"Tyr," exasperation in her voice, "you're safe here."  
  
"Oh?" he said remembering again how it had all started.   
  
"You're safe here," she said again, "and you need to rest if you're going to survive, or is survival no longer an issue for you?"  
  
His eyes shot darts at her, 'If you only knew' he thought warily. But he could see he wasn't going to win this one. "Do it" he said, the fight going out of him for this night anyway. He closed his eyes, as she efficiently administered the drug, and let it take him down into the well of restful sleep.  
  
'Well it's a start.' thought Rommie as she quietly witdrew, 'but there's a long way to go.'  
  
*********************************************  
Harper moved about the machine shop with the determination of one possesed. Since he and Dylan had rescued Beka and Tyr he'd not been able to face his two crewmates. He felt quilty for not having been in time to save them from the torment they had obviously gone through. He started when Beka appeared at the door. "I'm busy here."  
  
"Harper," she leaned against the hatchway "you haven't been to see him yet have you?"  
  
Harper sighed, "He's saved me so many times and I let him down, I let you both down."  
  
Beka pushed herself off the bulkhead and walked toward him. "How did you let us down? You saved our lives."  
  
"I could have found you sooner, maybe you wouldn't have been hurt so badly."  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Beka," he said seriously, "you don't even remember what happened to you, you're not fine!"  
  
She looked down at the floor for a minute, then wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against one of the less cluttered work benches. The two of them stood that way for several moments, she staring down at the floor, he fiddling with a tool.  
  
Finally Beka looked at him again, "If you're his friend, you'll go to him, he needs you."  
  
Harper looked back at her "Will you come with?"  
  
"I can't," she said sadly "he obviously needs to tell me something, but he's not able to yet. My being there only makes things worse for him right now. That's why he needs the rest of you, he needs your support to face it, so he can help me face it. Whatever it is."  
  
Harper reached out to Beka and wrapped his arm behind her for a moment. "Then I suppose I do need to go to him."  
  
"He'll welcome you" she said with a small smile."  
  
*********************************************  
Harper stood in the entrance to Med Deck, now that he was here he couldn't quite bring himself to enter. Tyr lay on the medical bed his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. "Well boy, are you going to come in?"  
  
Harper started where he stood. "How did you..."  
  
"Nietzschean hearing, remember?"  
  
Harper smiled ruefully and moved closer to the bed. Tyr opened his eyes and lifted his head moving to prop himself up on his side. He still could not completely conceal the pain he was in, despite his desire to spare Harper the discomfort of seeing how badly he had been hurt.  
  
Harper watched quietly as Tyr moved. "I'm sorry." he said in a barely audible voice.  
  
"You didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"I let you down"  
  
"How so?"  
  
"You've saved my butt several times and when Dylan needed my help to find you, I screwed up" Harper looked away.  
  
"How so?" Tyr said again, gesturing to Harper with his hand.  
  
"I'd set up a tracker's on you both, even Dylan didn't know this time," he almost cringed at the look that revelation drew from Tyr, "but when I tried to activate them I didn't get any return, it took me days to figure out why. Days when they were hurting you both," He looked up and Tyr saw the pain in his eyes. "If I hadn't screwed up maybe we could have gotten to you before..."  
  
"Stop!" screamed Tyr. He closed his eyes momentarily and took a deep, shuddering breath. Then he opened his eyes and his bored into Harper's, "I don't want to hear it, it's over."  
  
"Is it?" returned Harper.  
  
Tyr flopped back onto his pallet and immediately regretted it. He'd fought when they'd first taken him, but there had been so many of them. They'd overwhelmed him and to weaken him further they'd used some type of laser whip, covering the entire back of his body in tiny, but very deep cuts. Very effective it was too, painfully so, and in his dropping onto the bed he'd irritated what still remained of them, big time. He bit his lip to stiffle the cry of pain that threatened to escape.   
  
Harper however did not miss what was happening and rushed to him. "Tyr?"  
  
Tyr took a deep breath, "I'm alright." he let out the breath, closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head negatively, then swallowed and reopened his eyes.  
  
"and I'm a Nietzschean." Harper responded.  
  
Tyr laughed and allowed himself another sigh. "It most likely wouldn't have mattered even if you did know where we were right away. You wouldn't have been able to get to us."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
Tyr looked at Harper again, "Trust me" was all he said.  
  
"Ok." Harper relented, "how do I help you now, and how do I help Beka?"  
  
"Be there for us, the rest is...I have to do it alone for a time, and then with Beka, the two of us only."  
  
"Why won't you let us help?"  
  
"I can't" said Tyr his voice becoming quakey, he closed his eyes and shook his head again. When he opened them again, he took another audible breath and laid his forehead on his balled fist. "You'd better go." was all he could say.   
  
Harper very gently put his hand on Tyr's shoulder before silently withdrawing.  
  
Tyr painfully turned himself on his side, drew himself up into a ball and let the tears flow again.  
  
'Not good' thought Andromeda as she resumed her watch over her Weapons Officer.  
  
*********************************************  
Trance carefully rubbed the balm into the cuts that covered the back of Tyr's body. She wanted to talk to him but she carefully considered his probable opinion of her "chatter" and kept silent. Now that he was talking to her, she thought she would give him the chance to speak first. She finished and set the balm aside going over to check the readouts on his restorative nanobots. They were excellent, but it was slow going, almost all of his internal organs had been injured due to the repeated beatings he apparently had taken.  
  
But he hadn't been a passive victim. The injuries were indicative of a massive struggle. She thought of the Kodiak, the massive bears of old earth that Harper had told her about. It was evident Tyr had fought with the courage of one.   
  
Tyr carefully turned onto his back. The healing balm was obviously helping to heal the cuts, but on initial application it stung savagly, and he was in more than a bit of pain again. He watched Trance quietly as she went about recording his progress. "You are right, I am more inclined to speak to you this way." He watched closely as Trance's startled eyes snapped to his. "For over two years you've been teaching me," he continued "did you think Nietzscheans were incapable of learning?"   
  
She smiled at him somewhat guiltily, "Leave it to you to teach me."  
  
"So, am I going to live?"  
  
"Maybe, what would you say to us getting you out of here for a bit?"  
  
"My quarters?"  
  
"How about a short walk, to see how things go. Maybe the Obs deck?"  
  
He nodded his acceptance and she went to his side to help him to his feet.   
  
Trance walked quietly beside him as Tyr painfully made his way to the Obs deck. As the hatch slide open before him he immediately spied Beka sitting with her legs drawn up on one of the platform benches. His eyes dropped down to Trance beside him. "No, you didn't know, did you?"  
Trance looked up at him, the shock plain on her face. He had just as much told her that he could read her like an open book, but two instances of it so close to each other and so accurate, had unnerved her.  
  
"Shall I stop?" His eyes sparkled. She blushed and looked at the deck.  
  
Beka had raised her head at the sound of his voice and was looking at him across the room. He left Trance's side and slowly made his way to her, she stood as he reached her perch. He looked down at her and put his hand to her cheek, she, in turn, put hers over his.  
  
"It's nice to see you again." he said softly.  
  
"Are you sure you want to see me again?' she inquired.  
  
He frowned, then gathered her to him, lying his chin atop her head. "Perhaps, perhaps not."  
  
She could feel somthing had changed, yet he still wasn't ready.  
  
"It's not that I don't *want* to tell you, it's that I don't know *how* to tell you."   
  
She pulled back and looked up at him. "Straight on, directly. You're not one to hide in words."  
  
He pulled her back to him and said almost wistfully, far away, "No, it would hurt too much."  
  
"Then I should go." She pulled away from him, so that they only touched each other with one hand each."  
  
"Beka" He pulled her back to him, kissed her lightly on the lips, then let her go.  
  
Trance was nowhere to be seen as Beka left Obs deck.   
  
Tyr sought out the platform, the very one that he had sought solace on after Witchhead, so long ago, and not so long ago, or was it? He sank down onto it again, but this time the tears wouldn't come.   
  
***********************************************************************  
Beka stood looking at the calendar on the wall of her hygiene station and blinked. It had been almost six weeks since...  
  
"No it couldn't be." she whispered to herself. But Tyr had kissed her. She grabbed the calendar and ran to Med Deck.  
  
Tyr, who was sitting on his bed cross-legged working with free weights, looked up in surprise as she entered, moved to him and flung it in front of him. He looked down at it for a moment puzzled, then his eyes widened as he realized what he was seeing and what it was she was thinking.  
  
He looked up at her at the exact moment that she screamed, "What the h**l did you do to me?" She drew back her hand and swung for his cheek. He caught it, but the weight in his other hand kept him from being fast enough to move for her other hand which, with the deadly accurate aim of a woman possessed, was moving for his gut. But Beka, remembering the seriousness of his injuries at the last moment, and realizing how badly her blow might hurt him, stopped inches from connecting, turned and yanking her other hand free began to walk away from him.  
  
He lept to his feet, cursing the pain quick movements still brought him and moved after her. "Beka no," he said pleadingly, "I didn't, you're not..."  
  
She spun on him again, "Then why is it that my memory seems to be wiped completely clean, while you seem to know everything that happened?" she continued angrily.  
  
"No not everything," she was the first one he was being really completely truthful with about his memories. There were gaps there that came at key places, the implications of which completely terrified him, but he knew deep within him that what she was thinking had not occurred during one of those gaps.  
  
He stepped up to her taking both her wrists in his hands and looked into her eyes again, grateful that she did not try to pull away. "and why is it that we so quickly suspect the ones we have most reason to trust, and make for the guilty parties a blanket assumption of innocence?"  
  
"Then tell me what you do remember about what they did, and what you suspect."  
  
He sighed, closing his eyes again momentarily before taking her hand and leading her slowly to Obs Deck. He walked again to his Witchhead perch and sat her down, taking a seat beside her. They sat like that, side by side, each looking off through the view shield at the stars for a long time. Finally he turned to her and took her hand in his again, looking down at her lap, still unable to tell her eye-to-eye. He hesitated another moment and then asked "Did you ever *want* to have children?"  
  
She was momentarily startled by the direction the question took, but after a brief moment it dawned on her that he had asked the question about her past. Despite her lack of desire to propagate the species, the impications of that use of tense staggered her. She reached out and lifted his chin so he was forced to make the eye contact he had been avoiding. "Tyr?" she said a hint of distress on her face, "what are you saying?"  
  
He couldn't do it this way, he pulled away slightly and turned from her, but then said quietly, "That neither one of us will ever have any children from here on."   
  
Despite her intensions to not have children his words cut through her like a knife. She began to tremble uncontrolably as she struggled not to release the tears welling behind the eyelids that had snapped shut at his words. Tyr turned to her and gathered her in his arms, resting his chin on her head again as she collapsed into tears and sobs.  
  
They remained like that for a long time as she cried, and he let the tears fall too, while he alternately stroked her hair and cheek, and rubbed her back. Finally she pulled away again and and turned her tear-streaked face up to him. "Tell me what happened." she pleaded.  
  
"If only I could," he said bleakly, and took her in his arms again.  
  
Andromeda turned her mind from the scene on the Obs Deck and isolated the prior stream of conciousness in a secure file, marking it for only Tyr and Beka's further access.   
  
***********************************************************************  
After Tyr's revelation he insisted to Trance that he be allowed to return to his quarters and she cautiously acquiesced. His healing continued and as his strength returned he recomenced his duties at the Weapon's Console on a limited basis. Tyr and Beka spent most of their off duty hours together and Dylan sternly admonished Trance and especially Harper about the consequences should they take to teasing the other two.  
  
Beka and Tyr often slept in the same quarters, but presence was the only comfort they gave to each other. For the time though they appeared content to the others, although when alone there were many instances of shared pain. Beka didn't push, but Tyr could read her moods and he knew when she was thinking about what had befallen them. He was especially attentive but chastely proper during these times and both of them were comfortable with the situation.  
  
It was after a day of R&R together on a garden planet several months after his revelation that it happened...  
  
***********************************************************************  
Tyr had started out for Machine Shop 17 shortly before his duty shift was to commence the next day. As he entered the compartment he found himself behind Dylan and Harper as they huddled over something. Tyr walked around to face them. Just as he was able to see their faces Harper lifted a narrow metallic tube toward Dylan.   
  
Upon seeing the tube Tyr's mind flashed back to one of the gaps that his captors had so carefully created. He didn't see Dylan or Harper, he saw only the tube, coming out of the darkness, over and over, toward him. He felt the pain as it entered his body and drew everything that would create life from him. Tyr stood stock still for several seconds as the vision roared through him, his agile mind rapidly making the connections. As the horror of what had happened to him and it's implications became clear he screamed out "No, No, NO!". Throwing his hands over his eyes he fell to his knees.   
  
Dylan reacted immediately and caught the Nietzschean as he continued to fall forward. Tyr buried his head on Dylan's shoulder and continued to moan, "no" over and over for several minutes. Finally he threw his head back, his eyes squeezed tightly shut, though unable to stem the tears, his face a mask of agony. After another moment he opened his eyes and looked to Dylan, "Beka, I have to get to Beka!"  
  
***********************************************************************  
[i]In another universe...[/i]  
  
The Breakwraite crowed in triumphed. Finally, finally, one of his patients had survived. He allowed himself a moment to consider the rewards he would garner before beginning a more comprehensive examination. As he contined to study the readouts, his triumph increased. Not only had this patient survived, but the genes had bred true.  
  
The infant with the hazel eyes and the shock of red hair squinted up at the visage before him and reached out, cooing in anticipation. Tamerlane's small half-sibling had no way of knowing the consequences, to himself, and the rest of his family, of his survival...or the horrors that lay before him.  
  
  
[i]I have considered making an end here. Any comments?[/i]  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Dylan assisted Tyr to his feet. The Weapons Officer let out a reflexive sigh and wiped the tears from his eyes with the heels of his palms. As he looked up he noticed Harper staring at him.   
  
"It's ok, we survived it happening, we'll survive knowing about it, and she has to know."  
  
An involuntary shiver ran through him and his eyes fluttered from Harper's face before he turned and left the Machine Shop.  
  
Harper turned to Dylan, a concerned look on his face. "I don't know how to help them. They're my friends, and I don't know how to help them."  
  
Dylan shrugged "Give them the space they need to work it out for themselves, but be there when they call" he said quietly. Harper gave Dylan and 'easier said than done' smile.  
  
Tyr walked onto the Command Deck and walked up behind Beka, surprizing her with his presence. "You're not due here yet" she said to him without looking in his direction.  
  
"We need to talk, can you get Trance to relieve you?"  
  
She turned to him, the look on her face making it clear that she had caught his upset tone. "Something wrong?"   
  
"Something new I need to tell you, something important and" he hesitated a moment, "Not here, meet me on Obs Deck"  
  
Ten minutes later Beka walked onto Obs Deck to see Tyr perched on his "comfort" platform deep in thought. Beka crouched down in front of him, reaching out to place her hand on his thigh to steady herself as she looked up into his face. "How can I help?"   
  
He slowly came out of his reverie, reached down and pulled her up to sit in front of him, between his legs, with her back to him, and wrapped his arms around her drawing her close. "I remembered something earlier that you need to know," he hesitated and she felt the tension he was in.  
  
She pulled away slightly and looked at him with concern. "You can tell me anything." She settled back against him with her head on his shoulder.   
  
He turned slightly away, looking once more out at the stars. Beka turned her head up to look at him and reached up to place her hand on his cheek. He turned back toward her, taking her hand in his and bending downward to kiss her palm, then still holding her hand wrapped his arm and hers back around her waist as she settled her head back against his shoulder.  
  
He took a deep breath, "I thought at first they only meant to take our ability to have children from us," he paused here struggling with it. She remained still, giving him the time and space he needed. Finally, "but I know now they *took* our children from us."   
  
Beka stiffened as Ellsbeth's revelation, when she had been with them, of other ways to have children and ensure your genetic survival surged to her consciousness. She squeezed her eyelids shut against the tears she could not stop.   
  
Tyr turned her toward him and they sat there in each other's arms unable to comfort each other.   
  
***********************************************************************It had been some time since Tyr and Beka had retreated to Obs Deck, Dylan paced in his quarters, clearly worried for them, questioning Andromeda. "But they're ok?"  
  
"They requested Privacy Mode"  
  
"But they're ok?" Dylan repeated his question.   
  
"Neither of them is currently in any physical danger." Andromeda allowed.  
  
***********************************************************************  
Tyr slowly began to recover himself. He dried his eyes and deepened his breathing, periodically blowing out a breath. It was therefore a few minutes before he realized that Beka was no longer fully with him. She had stiffened in his arms and was making no sound. Concerned he backed away from her a bit moving her head off his chest and taking it between his hands. He looked into her eyes and was horrified by what he saw, it confirmed that she wasn't with him, and he knew exactly where she was.   
The memories of that morning flooded back to him. He at least had some foreknowledge of what had happpened and the revelation had terrified him into the personage of a weeping child. What must the full impact of everything at once be doing to her?  
  
Beka stared into the darkness as the memories flooded through her. She couldn't separate the now from the then, she only saw what was being done to her from the dark. Somehow now, knowing the probable intent of their actions, she saw all the possibilities, and none of them were good.   
  
She, like Tyr, was finally reaping the benefits of Trance's *teaching*. It wasn't necessarily anyone's fault that the fruit of that learning picked a horrendous time to manifest itself; it was also unfortunate that the mindgames of their enemy had essentially re-inforced the negative side of it.  
  
***********************************************************************  
Tyr knew he had to move carefully. If he startled her, there was no way of knowing where she would end up, and he didn't want to lose her now. He couldn't lose her now. He moved a single finger to stroke her cheek. "Beka?" he said gently. No reaction. "Beka!" he ventured slightly more volume and a command tone. She was still in his arms and there remained no recognition in her eyes.  
  
Tyr hovered on the edge of panic before it occurred to him that it was time to call on their 'family' for help. He instructed Andromeda to drop the privacy mode and called for Trance to meet them on Med Deck. Scooping up Beka in his arms he ran. As did both Dylan and Harper who, hearing Tyr's call for Trance had little doubt as to who needed Trance's assistance.   
  
***********************************************************************  
Tyr reached Med Deck a step ahead of Trance and laid Beka down on one of the beds. Just as Trance began her examination Harper arrived. Seeing Beka still and unresponsive he exploded at Tyr, launching himself in the direction of the Nietzschean. "What did you do to her!"   
  
Tyr, who's attention had been focused on Beka, was blindsided by the small engineer and fell back against the wall with a shocked look on his face. "Boy, haven't you figured out by now that I would never knowingly do anything to hurt her."  
  
"So why is she lying there?" Harper screamed back. Tyr closed his eyes and throwing his head back against the bulkhead, slid down to the deck struggling to keep from laughing hysterically. It was just too much, everything that had happened to him, everything that had happened to Beka, the others tiptoeing around them for months, and now when he needed them...   
  
It was at that point that Dylan slid into the compartment. He quickly surveyed the situation and seeing that Trance was still engaged in examining Beka turned to the other two. Harper had by then turned away, his eyes closed, hands on his head as he shook it negatively. Seeing Tyr on the floor Dylan dropped down to a squat beside him and enquired "Are you all right?"  
  
Tyr opened his eyes and looked at the captain for an instant before using his head to gesture at Harper who was standing with his back to the other two. "The boy thinks I hurt her on purpose, after all she and I have been through together, after all *he* and I have been through together, after all this time..." He ran his hands through his hair and looked away from Dylan. "Why do I even care?" He said this bitterly, seemingly speaking more to himself then to Dylan.  
  
"Because you're Tyr Anasazi," said Dylan quietly, "and Tyr Anasazi has grown over the last three years, as have we all." Tyr looked back at Dylan and Dylan gestured with his head toward Harper.   
  
Tyr stood and walked over to the engineer. Gently placing his hand on his friend's shoulder he said quietly, "When I realized the full extent of what had been done to us..., she had to know," he hesitated "but maybe I was foolish in telling her without thinking more carefully of what it would do to her, how to help her deal with it. Perhaps I should have enlisted the rest of you to help us both through it. I don't know, so much has changed now." He dropped his hand from Harper's shoulder and turned away again.  
  
Harper slowly opened his eyes and dropped his hands from his head, turning back toward Tyr he said to the Nietzschean's back, "Tyr,.. I..I'm sorry, I was worried about her, I wasn't thinking."  
  
Tyr spun on him, but contained his anger as he said softly, "Don't you think I'm worried about her too?"  
  
It was then that Trance finished her initial examination and turned to them, Tyr caught her movement and looked over to her as Dylan rose back to his feet beside him. "She doesn't seem to be in any immediate physical danger, but she's certainly unwilling to communicate with us right now." said the golden medic. She looked at Tyr and gently asked "What do we need to know?"  
  
A look of raw pain briefly clouded Tyr's face before he turned his back on the others. He stood immobile for quite some time while his crewmates quietly waited, giving him the time he needed to compose himself. Finally he turned back to them. "That they rendered us sterile," he said dispassionately, "and took her ova and my sperm for their own use in the process." He turned away again and sighed, placing his hand just above the level of his head as he leaned on the bulkhead.  
  
There was no further sound in the compartment for a very long time.  
  
***********************************************************************  
When they started to move again it was Trance first. She walked around Tyr and taking his other hand looked up at him then silently hugged him. The Tyr before would have stiffened, pulled away, made a sarcastic comment, or on rare ocassions a humerous one. This Tyr pulled back slightly, but reached down, lifted Trance's face back to his with a finger under her chin, and slowly nodded positively twice before releasing her and walking to the bed where Beka lay huddled. As he passed Dylan and Harper each man briefly placed a hand on Tyr's shoulder.  
  
Tyr sat down on the bed his legs hanging over the side. He gently picked Beka up and drew her to him, cradling her with her back against his chest, his arms around her. The others silently left the compartment.  
  
Eight hours later Dylan and Trance walked back in, Trance with a plate of food in her hands. "You need to eat and rest" said Dylan. Tyr threw him a scathing look.   
  
Trance handed the plate of food to Dylan and walked over to the bed. Crouching down with one hand on his knee she looked up at him. "You need to eat and rest, if you're going to be strong for her. You know it as well as we do.   
  
Tyr stared at her. "I'm not leaving her." the words were said intensly, but quietly.  
  
"You don't need to leave her, you can sleep right here," her eyes indicated one of the adjoining beds, "one of us will stay with you both."  
  
Tyr gently placed Beka back down on the bed, and got up. Walking over to Dylan he silently took the plate of food from the Captain, before walking over to the other bed. Sitting on it cross-legged he continued his silence and began to eat.   
  
Dylan ventured a barely there smile of satisfaction to Trance before turning and leaving Med Deck, while Trance went to examine Beka again. Tyr was intently watching her every move, while inside himself he was dealing with the range of emotions that had been floading through him since his return to the ship. He had to figure out where he belonged now, if he was going to remain here, if he was going to be able to help himself, if he was going to be able to help her, if he was going to be able to help their children. He had to, and it seemed that reaching out to the others more might be part of the key.   
  
The solitary Kodiak, and the one that was part of the Andromeda family, continued their intense battle within him as he quietly finished his meal, and continued to watch Trance.  
  
Trance completed her examination, finding nothing additionally physically wrong with Beka. She was proceeding to set up hydration and feeding tubes and an elimination catheter when Tyr literally growled behind her. Trance turned to him, understanding on her face. "She's physically fine, but she won't be if I don't keep her hydrated and fed and keep her body functioning properly." She sighed when she saw the worry on Tyr's face and she walked over to him. "Don't you remember how long you were back with us before yow were ready to admit to yourself that you were back with us? Or aren't you yet?"  
  
Tyr sighed again. Trance reached over and took the now empty plate from his hands and pushed him down onto the bed. "Sleep" she commanded. She went back to Beka and after finishing her tasks walked over and lowered the lighting. Walking to the other side of the large compartment she pulled herself up onto one of the beds and leaning back against the bulkhead made herself comfortable.  
  
Tyr, overcome by the exhaustion of the last few days, finally slept. For once his sleep was uninterrupted by nightmares.   
  
They fell into a pattern for the next two weeks. Trance caring for Beka's physical needs, one of the other crewmembers spending the eight hour mid watching over both Tyr and Beka. The other sixteen hours she was watched over by Tyr. Most of the time he held her in his arms, but Trance had insisted on him properly eating and continuing to work out. She had enlisting Rommie, who did it without complaint, to transport the minimum required amount of exercise equipment to allow Tyr to continue his physical recovery on Med Deck.  
  
It was during one of his exercise periods that Beka finally choose to begin her return to them.  
  
"Uhhhh..."  
  
Tyr's eyes, which had been on the weight in his hand, snapped to Beka. As she twisted on the bed, her eyes still closed, he hastily put down the weight and ran to her, calling for Trance as he went.  
  
"Beka?"  
  
She opened her eyes and they moved in the direction of his voice, but she did not appear to recognize him, and her face screwed up in confusion. As Trance walked into the door Beka managed to rasp out "Where am I?" She noticed Trance coming through the door and her eyes widened. Turning back to Tyr she rasped out at him "Who are you, and what have you done to my crew?"   
  
***********************************************************************  
The Breakwraite lifted the first survivor by one arm. It didn't even whimper. The paternal being had been a fighter, tougher than one of any non-sublimating species they had encountered before and the entire circle had been impressed, so much so that it's valor had saved it's life, and afforded it's mate absolute protection from harm, except for the removal of course. A non-sublimating species so dangerous had to be studied further and there was no better way to study such a species then in it's developing form.   
  
The other looked down at the two before him. Newly removed from the support pod they too, like their brother before them, had survived. It confirmed his master's assessment of when the species' inate ability to survive outside of a closed environment manifested, albiet that survival still relied heavily on other support. These two were of the female variety and would therefore be afforded more protection than the first, but still there was much to learn if the species was to be rendered incapable of causing harm to the circle, so they would eventually meet the same fate. It was just a matter of when.  
  
The two small girls, each a reflection of their brother in coloring and demeanor started to whimper as their first hunger overcame them. The other fulfilled there needs and the two babies were allowed to slip into an undisturbed sleep.   
  
Their older brother would not be so lucky this day, but for him this was nothing new. His existence had been one of experimentation taken to extremes. Already all of his ribs and two of his extremeties had been broken at least once by the various tests of his *caretakers*. Several angry burn scars covered his chest and back testament to the numerous noxious chemicals he had been exposed to. That he still saw was a miracle of chance but his hearing in one ear had already been destroyed.  
  
Yet still he lived, testament to the valor that resided in the heart of Tyr Anasazi and Beka Valentine's son.  
  
***********************************************************************  
Tyr froze as Beka screamed at him. All of the circumstances of the past year, of the time since the tunnel aliens had first assaulted them, came crahing down on him again. He turned and ran from Med Deck. Trance ran to calm Beka, calling for Rommie to inform Dylan of what had transpired as she moved.  
  
Dylan headed for Obs Deck, certain he would find Tyr in his accustomed refuge and was shocked to find himself in error. "Andromeda?"  
  
"Machine Shop 17" was the immediate response.   
  
Dylan sprinted, but Harper was closer. Sliding into his workspace he found Tyr wildly accessing his records, such as they were. "Tyr?" said Harper gingerly.  
  
Tyr looked up from the terminal, lept up and reached out. Lifting Harper by the shoulders so that they were face-to-face. Crouching to Harper's level, nose-to-nose Tyr said "How did you get to us?"  
  
"Tyr?" said Harper again, a confused look on his face.  
  
"Through the tunnel, Beka and I had closed it, no? How did you get to us?"  
  
Harper struggled to pull away, "We can't..."  
  
Tyr placed a hand over the engineer's mouth and brought his face up close to Harper's again.  
  
"She doesn't know where she is! How could you and Dylan have let me forget? How could you have let me be such a fool?  
  
Harper's face was a mask of confusion.  
  
"The children!" shouted Tyr.  
  
"What children?" Harper's confusion grew worse for an instant, then his eyes grew large. "You told her you didn't"  
  
"THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO HAVE CHILDREN THAN THAT!" screamed Tyr, anguish and disgust plain on his face. "It's been almost a year, how could you have let me forget!"  
  
He shook Harper violently, lifting him off his feet again. "She doesn't want to remember any of it. I have to bring her any children that came of it. Then she'll have a reason to remember and we both can heal. How do I get to them Harper? Tell me NOW!"  
  
"TYR!" shouted Dylan, who had just arrived at the hatch.  
  
Tyr glanced at Dylan and blinked. "He has to tell me how to get to the children" he said more calmly. He looked down at Harper dangling above the floor in front of him. Carefully lowering his friend and brother to the floor he released his grip before sighing and closing his eyes.  
  
Harper looked up at Tyr, anguish on his face. "I can't..." he began again.  
  
Tyr's eyes snapped open and he reached down to Harper for the third time, "You have to, for Beka, for the children, for me. We all need you now."  
  
"Ok" said Harper, a tremor running through his body. He turned from Tyr and walked over to a locked cabinet. Opening it he reached in and started to draw out the materials he would need to reconstruct the key.  
  
***********************************************************************  
Harper was working diligently but it had been a difficult task in the first place. Now it was even more difficult, not only because he had completely destroyed it, frightened out of his wits by the potential for it's misuse, but because as he got closer to it's completion he cringed inwardly about what he would be forced to go through again. But as Tyr had said, it was for Beka, and it was for the children, and it was for Tyr. He owed both of the parents his life, many times over, and he'd seen too many children hurt to ignore evidence that was happening. The children being Beka and Tyr's only reinforced his desire to assist in their rescue.  
  
Tyr, on the other hand, felt almost totally useless. Unable to get through to Beka, she was currently refusing to let him into her presence, and had steadfastly refused to listen when Dylan and Trance had gently recapped what Tyr had told her of their experience; and unable to assist Harper, whose nervous demeanor would go super nova every time Tyr approached him; he roamed the ship a bundle of uncontrolled frustration.   
  
The current object of his anger was the bulkhead of the Mess Deck, he had retreated there with the intension of preparing a meal for the others, but had gotten nowhere, and had swung in frustration, leaving an obvious dent and giving himself a sore hand in the process. Holo-Rommie appeared before him, crossing her arms and giving him a belligerent stare.  
  
"Get out!" he screamed pointing at the hatch.  
  
"I seem to remember we've had this conversation before."  
  
"Then go!"  
  
"When you stop denting my bulkheads, I'll go"  
  
Another cup went sailing, but of course this time it went right through it's target.  
  
"Weapons Officer engaged in target practice on the Mess Deck" Andromeda announced it throughout the ship.   
  
Tyr growled savagely and stormed out. It was several minutes before his anger subsided enough for him to realize he was enroute Med Deck. He stopped just outside the hatch struggling to regain his composure for several minutes before entering. Beka's back was to the hatch and she was huddled closer to the far side of her bed. Tyr quietly walked over and sat down on the other edge. Tentatively he reached out and rubbed her back. "I need you" he said gently.   
  
Beka scurried away from his touch, pushing herself as close as possible to the far edge while barely managing to avoid falling off. "Don't!" she said angrily.  
  
Tyr closed his eyes and dropped his head, but did not withdraw his hand "Why?"  
  
Beka turned just enough so that his hand slid off her back, she grabbed it and flung it back in his direction for emphasis, before turning her back on him again. "Go!"  
  
Tyr reached out and rolled her in his direction again "Not until you tell me why" he said anguish accenting his voice.  
  
"Because you lied to me!" spat out Beka rolling away from him again.  
  
"Beka I..."  
  
"You lied to me Tyr!"  
  
"No"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me the truth...right away?"  
  
"Because I *didn't* know the truth right away" he looked away, "I thought you understood that" he said much more quietly.  
  
"Right!" When he made no answer she eventually turned back and looked at him. Gradually the anger in her face dissipated and she began to really see the look on his. "Tyr?" she said softly.  
  
He sighed and stood up "I should go."  
  
"Ready to give up so easily?"   
  
His eyes snapped to her face again "It seems you want me to."  
  
"No" her voice broke.  
  
Tyr stepped forward and took her in his arms for the first time in many days "Nor do I" he said shakily.  
  
***********************************************************************  
In Machine Shop 17 Harper stepped back with a heavy sigh. The key stood completed on the workbench before him.  
  
  
***********************************************************************  
Harper reached down and picked up the jack probe gingerly. He stared at it for several minutes, trying to think the accompanying knots out of his stomach. "Rommie?" he said softly.  
  
The hologram fluttered into existence before him, her eyes scanning the workbench in front of him before snapping to the probe in his hand. "What are you doing Harper?"  
  
"Testing" he said.  
  
"By yourself?"  
  
Harper shook his head negatively, an annoyed look on his face. "I called you."  
  
Andromeda felt inward satisfaction. She'd given him another emotion to engage in. One that would protect him better than the fear he had been displaying moments before.  
  
"and I'm here." said the avatar as she walked into the machine shop.  
  
Harper smiled weakly and looked at the probe in his hand, "moniter" he said flately as he reached up to insert it.  
  
***********************************************************************  
Harper's body went rigid as he entered the tunnel, and was assaulted by the colors, the full spectrum tore at him, eager to wrestle and defeat him. 'How to defeat it?' he thought. He started to move forward and the colors got more intense, moving faster, battering him as he moved. He punched one arm forward and the colors moved around it, threatening to engulf him in a different way. Hurriedly pulling his arm back he stood still for a moment contemplating his next move.   
  
Watching him Andromeda was briefly concerned, Harper still and reflective was not a normal occurrence in her experience.  
  
Harper continued to stand and slowed his breathing, doing it with brute force had worked before but at a cost to him that none of the others knew, maybe there was a better way.   
  
***********************************************************************  
'Breathe Seamus, breathe; did he really refer to himself as Seamus?' He wondered idly.  
  
"Harper?" Rommie inquired as she watched him lose himself. At first it didn't seem like he heard her, then she noticed how slow and regular his breathing had become, and she was uncertain whether or not she should be concerned. "Harper?" She moved closer to him but said it more quietly.   
  
The color surged through and out of him, eager to engulf her, but at the last minute...it retreated. The "no" Harper had said was quiet, barely audible, like the whisper of a breeze, and he smiled with the discovery of the secret.   
  
He touched his side gently, the scars of the bruising there and across his back still able to send spikes of pain through his entire body, threatening to overwhelm him with the remembrance. The bruises from the first encounter, when the colors had reached out to lash him viciously, with the same brutal efficiency of the whip they had used on Tyr.   
  
Intellectually he now knew there would be no others to join them. But the doubt that all of his experience gave him, that made him Harper, threatened his composure again. Carefully he reached out with his mind, no longer attempting to push through the colors but to meld into and through them. Once again he saw, no felt, the opening free and clear before him.   
  
He turned his mind back to Rommie beside him. "Tell Tyr and Dylan I'm ready," he said, allowing the barest hint of a smile to play about his lips.  
  
Rommie smiled also, understanding dawning. They didn't need the huge tunnel to get there, all they needed was a small canal, the small canal Harper had re-created with the force of his spirit, which he could hold open and usher the others through. "Tyr, Dylan, Harper is ready in Machine shop 17," the ship announced.  
  
Tyr and Dylan had been waiting for this call and were on their way, Tyr from his quarters, Dylan from the Command Deck, the instant they heard it.   
  
Someone else also heard, "So? Thinking of leaving me behind?" said Beka as she rose from her bed on Med Deck and headed for the machine shop. "Well, you've all got another thing coming." When she entered Harper was instructing Dylan and Tyr who were both standing before him, armed to the teeth. "If nothing else you need to remember not to fight it, let it flow through you. When you do that it's easy. But fight it, and it will tear you apart."  
  
Tyr glanced at Beka as she entered. His intent to forestall her clear in his eyes. "They're my children too." she said to him, vehemence in her every word. "I'm coming!" The communication that passed between them as they stood there eyeing each other would several months before have startled them both. Now they both realized the connection had been there from the moment they had met. It had needed only their shared experiences to bring it to their awareness; it was a matter of course. Tyr silently passed a weapon to her.  
  
"Beka," said Dylan as he stepped toward her.  
  
Tyr intercepted him, stepping between then and blocking Dylan's further advance with his arm. He locked his eyes to Dylan's and said pointedly "Had you the opportunity to share the gift of children with your Sara you would know better than to interfere with a she-bear when her cubs are endangered."  
  
Dylan's eyes snapped to Beka's, his eyebrows raised, a sheepish "forgive me" look on his face.  
  
Beka briefly smiled her forgiveness at him, but then turned back to Tyr, her understanding of the implication of him calling her a "she-bear" clear on her face.  
  
Tyr nodded, re-settled his weapon in his dominant arm and wrapping his free arm around Beka's waist turned back toward Harper. "Lead on little man." he said with conviction.  
  
***********************************************************************  
Harper reached down and inserted the probe again turning away from the others as he did so. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the colors. Moving slowly and carefully he melded himself into the colors. The small generator at his side began to hum and the canal opened up before them.  
  
Tyr stepped forward eager to begin their mission but at the last moment he remembered Harper's admonitions and slowed his pace. As he entered the canal the colors surged forward as if a living thing, eager to overwhelm him. Battling his usual nature he relaxed into the colors and felt rather than saw himself meld with them. He felt Beka's hand stiffen in his from behind him and he turned to her. "Gently" he said, his voice a low murmur. Beka managed a smile and followed him.  
  
Dylan was next. His initial attempt was no better than Beka's but it didn't take him long to rmember what Harper had said either. It wasn't long before his perceptions were of his body melding through the colors swirling around him.   
  
However she did it Rommie managed to cut through the colors and still survive. It didn't occur to her that relaxing would have made the task easier, and to all intents and purposes it really didn't matter.  
  
Trance meanwhile remained with Harper. This time it was her turn to be the "Protector" again. Only this time she meant to do it right. This time her protectee would not be rushed into acting too early and lose them all; and it occured to her that the reason for that was Tyr, who had survived this time. Maybe she could assume some of the credit, after all she had warned them not to let him go on the hunt for the engine, but then again, he had survived to properly protect Beka, and to get through the torture. More importantly, he was the father of the children, all four of them. Now rescuing the three was everything, because of what Trance could see was another perfect possible future; because of what the four children could become, could do for all the people of the universe.  
  
As Trance thought of what this all meant, the four who must rescue the three to ensure the future slowly made their way through the canal taking the time they needed to avoid their destruction, Rommie's methods not withstanding. It was several hours before they approached the other side. Tyr turned to the others and conveyed their next moves with his eyes and head, keeping absolutely silent as he did so.  
  
They moved quickly once he was finished. Tyr burst out to the right, weapon raised at the ready, while Dylan went left. Beka went low between them, stopping in a crouching position her weapon also up and ready. Rommine vaulted over Beka and landed low and to her left, taking the point to one side.  
  
What they saw astonished them. They were in a cavern, it's ceiling towering above them over a large chamber. All around the perimeter tunnels lead out. It was what was in the chamber that was amazing. The generator, that the explosion had destroyed, was in the process of being rebuilt. There were *aliens*, if they could be referred to as that here, for really the four who stood watching them were the aliens here, all around them. Yet it seemed as though the four didn't exist for all the attention they attracted.  
  
As Tyr glanced up at it a shiver ran through him. It was as if he was being transported back to the first time he had been in this chamber and the memory almost overwhelmed him. He turned to Beka and saw by the look in her eyes that the place was having the same effect on her. He reached out to her putting one hand on her shoulder he lifted her chin with the other so that he was looking directly into her eyes. "We *can* do this!" he said empathetically. He turned to the others and pointed to one of the tunnels on the far side of the chamber. "We start that way."  
  
Dylan raised an eyebrow at him "Shouldn't we split up? Cover more ground, more quickly?"  
  
"Not yet," said Tyr with all the authority of one not to be second guessed in his voice, "We have to get there first."  
  
They moved out keeping their attention split between the aliens working on the generator and the tunnels arrayed around them. Somehow they managed to reach their goal without incident. Unbeknownst to them, at least for the barest moment, the next part of their journey would not be so peaceful.  
  
***********************************************************************  
They entered the tunnel much the same way they had exited the canal into the cavern, only this time there was no moment to get their bearings and having their weapons elevated might have been a slight miscalculation. Tyr was blindsided by one of the aliens and it was immediately apparent that he would be fighting a similar sized contingent to the one he had sucombed too the last time he was here. The prospect of taking such a beating again did not thrill him in the least, but he was not in a position where withdrawing permanently was an acceptable plan B either.   
  
Back to back with Dylan he threw his question over his shoulder, "As it appears that frontal assualt is not to our advantage, nor can we rely on our inexplicable invisibility any longer, may I inquire as to your current take on plan B?"   
  
"You have the lead if I understand correctly," said Dylan, "however, might I recommend Go Up."  
  
Tyr frowned for an instant before casting his eyes toward the ceiling to see a lattice work grill running along the path they needed to follow. Realization hit Tyr, "You've done this before!"  
  
"No actually Go Up was always Plan B, Plan A was Go Down. But I don't beleive in predictability, it inhibits survival.  
  
"So does blindly leaping into the unknown," countered Tyr.  
  
"Well we better leap somewhere fast," said Dylan as he gestured with his head at an alien just coming into view in the far reaches of the tunnel and lept for the grill above him. The others followed suit none of them certain whether or not they had been seen. Dylan turned to Rommie "Scan ahead please." He indicated the far end of the tunnel with his eyes as they perched on the edge of the grill, momentarily out of view.  
  
"Scanning," said Rommie closing hers. After a brief instant a small smile began to play about her lips and her eyes opened. "One hundred meters," was all she said scrambling around the others to take the lead.   
  
Tyr jerked his head in her direction, his eyes questioning Dylan. All Dylan did was indicate Rommie's retreating back, his palm upward, eyes raised at Tyr. The look of resigned annoyance did not leave Tyr's face but he moved to follow Rommie and was closely followed by Beka and Dylan.  
  
They scrambled the announced one hundred meters as quietly as possible until Rommie held up her hand to halt them. Reaching carefully up to the the apex of the corridor's roof she scanned a small panel, eyes closed. Opening her eyes again she reached and punched a series of keys on it's surface. A hatch curved open and reaching up her other hand Rommie swung herself up into the complex's auxilliary surveillance system control center. She was rapidly followed by the others.  
  
"Paydirt!" Beka followed this observation with a low whistle.   
  
Tyr started looking at the control panel wishing Harper were here. Dylan stepped to his side and rapidly keyed in a couple of commands. A small screen to his right came to life, phasing through a series of shots of various locations in the complex. The bonus, that even Dylan was not expecting, was the segment further down the panel that came to life, lighting up each location as the camera's phased past them. Rommie began recording immediately.   
  
Dylan's hand hovered over the control as the cycle continued. "There!" he mouthed as his hand hit stop with the view of the lab with a nursery tucked in the far corner.  
  
Rommie was already moving as she had instantaneously calculated the quickest path from their current location to their goal. Before Dylan could move to follow her however Tyr turned to him with a belligerent glare on his face. "You could have told me!" His voice dripped anger.  
  
"Argosy Special Ops Rule, specifics of Plan B are sacrosanct and intelligence gathering is always an obligation, never know when you might be called upon to go back over old territory." Dylan then glanced up at Tyr, staring somewhat challengingly into the Nietzschean's eyes. "Kind of like keeping knowledge of one's first born under wraps until the proper moment. But then again someone once told me 'Never trust any Nietzschean.' Perhaps I was only taking his advice."   
  
Beka started and her eyes flicked from Dylan's face to Tyr's.   
  
Tyr growled deep in his throat but nodded almost imperceptibly to Dylan before turning to follow Rommie. There would be time for hashing out this particular 'disagreement' later.  
  
***********************  
He reached up and struggled to pull himself erect, winching against the pain that bones broken too often and tendons torn too early would never again allow to be ended. Were it not for the stubborness and resolve drawn from his genetic heritage he would not have stood, nor made his first steps. But this child would not be beaten down by circumstances, and so he walked.  
She reached out into the darkness, uncertain as to what to expect, as did her sister. Neither of them felt, nor heard, nor saw, yet still they tried. The spark within them not yet ready to die, despite the lack of stimulation that the sensory deprivation modules in which they lay, separated from the world around them, held them in.  
  
The three children waited, not knowing that they waited and not knowing that their salvation was at hand.  
  
Nor did any of the participants in the unfolding drama of that day realize just how it would unfold, or in the long run where it would lead.  
  
The Breakwraite watched the boy, surely he couldn't, but then he did, taking his series of miraculous steps across the floor, until he sat down suddenly and squeezed his eyes shut against the pain. but he did not cry.  
  
He watched the two small girls, though they had nothing, still they moved and acted as if they did not notice their affliction.  
  
He was impressed, yet disheartened all the same, for the end had come, and now he would have to give them up. But would he?   
  
He entered the nursery lab, and reached down to pick up the little boy. He would have to make his decision quickly, for the children's parents were at hand, and there was little time before the fate of these children would no longer be his to decide.   
  
******************  
  
In actuality, The Breakwraite had no time to make his decision, for as he lifted the little boy into his arms four ceiling panels slid aside simultaneously and the four rescuers dropped around him weapons drawn. He froze in place as he looked into the cold eyes of the child's father who stood in front of him. He was a medical researcher, not a warrior, and he saw his potential death in those eyes.   
  
He began to slide back imperceptibly toward the crib behind him.   
  
"Wrong move." said the warrior before him.   
  
The alien froze again, took a deep breath, and considered for a moment. But he essentially had no options. "I would put the child down before you kill me." he said evenly.  
  
"Do so then, *very* carefully" said Tyr.  
  
The alien moved again, crouching and placing the boy on the floor between the two of them. He was unprepared for the speed with which Rommie moved from behind him and found himself thrown to his knees, his arms pulled back and restrained. The warrior before him moved too, stepping forward around his son as he readjusted the sights of his weapon.  
  
"TYR!" Dylan's yell from his right froze Anasazi's finger as it began tightening on the trigger. On his left Beka shouldered her weapon and dropped to her knees in front of their son. Tyr engaged the safety on the weapon, stepped forward and swung it, the alien flew back as the butt all but shattered his jaw.  
  
All but was a good thing as he could still talk. "That you came for them says much about you, that they survive says much about them and they are yours." As he spoke six of his circle entered the nursery and Rommie. Dylan, and Tyr swung around to them, Beka remained where she was, mesmerized by the sight of her son and unable to move.  
  
With lightening speed The Breakwraite struggled to his feet. "HOLD!" he screamed, wincing as the pain raced through his jaw. He turned to the squad leader of his personal guard. "This is over." he said, and there was no mistaking the authority in his voice despite his injury. The squad leader motioned to the others, and they withdrew.  
  
Tyr turned back to him, a question in his eyes, "You said them?" his eyes continued to drill into the alien before him.  
  
"Two daughters also, younger than your son. through there. I'll need to disengage the isolation units."   
  
Tyr raised his weapon again and gestured toward the door with it, the alien proceeded him and Dylan followed. Rommie remained with Beka and the little boy.   
  
The alien lowered the lights and Tyr swung the weapon toward him. "Their eyes won't be accoustomed to the light." said the alien by way of explanation.   
  
Tyr lowered the weapon a hair's breath, watching every move the creature made. His eyes swung to the two units as the field which held them closed blinked out of existence.   
  
Tyr beheld his two daughters for the first time, a look of wonder passing across his face. Hesitantly he reached down into the unit on the right and gently touched the cheek of one of them. The little girl trembled at his touch, but made no sound. Tyr withdrew his hand as if he had been struck and turned toward the alien, rage filling his face. "What did you do to them?" he said. A father's instinct somehow told him to ask his question quietly but the intensity in his voice was unmistakable.  
  
"Nothing." replied the other quietly, "but therein lies the harm. Their basic needs were met," he explained "but they've been allowed no other stimulation."  
  
"Sensory deprivation." said Dylan quietly from behind Tyr.  
  
"Why?" said Tyr, anguish in his voice.  
  
"To test your strength, or rather confirm that which we had already learned from you and their mother. When you replused us, you proved much more dangerous then we expected and we had to know just how dangerous you could be to enable us to protect ourselves. You're very dangerous indeed and we want nothing more than for you to leave. We will not venture into your territory again."  
  
"And you expect us to believe that?" said Tyr, sarcasm dripping from his voice.   
  
"The children are yours," the other responded quietly, "as is the use of this facility until they are ready to leave. I recommend you spend a few days here at least, let them get comfortable with you and their mother, but you are their father and I will respect your wishes. Shall I remain here, or do you wish me to withdraw?"  
  
"Rommie," said Dylan in response to the alien's question, "our host is returning to your excellent attention."   
  
"Understood," acknowledged the avatar. Dylan motioned the alien back toward the other room.   
  
Tyr turned to his other daughter and repeated his earlier action, getting much the same result as he had with her sister. In the other room Beka continued to watch her son. Neither of the parents had any idea what they should do next.  
  
Tyr reached out to touch the cheek of one of the little girls again, making his touch even more gentle than the first time. He got the same result, and withdrew his hand as if instead of feeling his daughter tremble he had felt his hand plunged into a pot of molten lead. "They won't even let me touch them," he said anguish in his voice.   
  
Dylan walked up behind him and laid his hand on Tyr's shoulder. "They will, but you're going to have to give them time."  
  
"And you would know this how?" Tyr's anger was an intense whisper still.  
  
"Babies are adaptable."  
  
"Babies need to bond with their parents from the beginning. I've been denied the opportunity to bond with all of my children in their infancy. To a Nietzschean father that's anathema, and you offer me platitudes. You once told me I didn't know you, I submit you don't know me either, even after all *this* time."  
  
"They will come to love your touch." Dylan submitted the crux of the discussion for Tyr's consideration, but his only answer was a sigh as the Nietzschean turned back to stare at his daughters. The Captain moved a chair to where Tyr stood and gently pushed Anasazi down into it. Tyr placed his chin on his balled fist and rested the fist on the edge of one of the isolation units, continuing to watch his daughters.  
  
In the other room Beka had made a gradual move closer to the little boy who sat stone-faced warily watching her. Rommie meanwhile was watching the other three occupants of the room warily. She had no intension of letting the creature get near Beka or the child, nor would she allow anything else, except for the four occupants of the adjoining room, to enter.   
  
Beka inched closer to her wary son, and the little boy's face responded with a more palpable expression of disconcert. The creature, for so she was to him, continued to approach, not intending to touch him yet, but hoping against hope. But the situation finally proved too much for the little boy. While to his credit he did not scream, the noises that accompanied his tears were violent still. Beka reached out to her son, but stopped herself just before she would have touched him. She backed away, her face a mask of pain and as she turned saw the alien who sat in the corner of the room. She ran at him, with every intension of ending his life.   
  
Rommie moved quickly wrapping her arms around Valentine, struggling to hold her back "Beka, No!" she screamed.  
  
But even as Rommie did so Beka screamed "I'll kill you." at the unresponsive alien.  
  
In the other room the sounds knifed through the father and for a moment he closed his eyes struggling agaist his own tears. But then Tyr stood, having come to a decision. He rose and walked into the other room. First, he went to Rommie and Beka, silently removing the avatar's hands he wrapped one arm around Beka's waist and pulling her with him returned to the little boy and firmly scooped him up into his other arm. The little boy blinked in surprise, but the firm and natural grasp of his father somehow managed to calm him and much to his credit he did not cry.  
  
Tyr propelled Beka into the other room and looked pointedly at Dylan. To the Captain's credit he caught the silent message and left the room gently shutting the door behind him. Tyr nodded to the chair closest to the little girls and after Beka sat firmly placed their son in his mother's lap. Then he placed another chair facing the one Beka was occupying, scooped his two daughters into his arms, and sat down. A smile came to his face as the two litle girls mimicked their brother's blink. It grew as he realized that neither of the little girls was shaking.  
  
"You feed them and change them too?" was all Beka could think to say.  
  
************************************  
Tyr laughed at her question and responded, "Only when their mother asks," but then his face grew more serious again. He looked down at his son and said "Barbarrosa this is your mother." He raised his eyes to her face again, to confirm her approval.   
  
Then he looked down at the slightly bigger of the two little girls, "and this," he said to Beka, "is Victoria." He then looked at the tiniest of the three before glancing at Beka expectantly.  
  
"Teresa," she replied, glancing up at him to note his raised eyebrows, "and yes there is a Teresa in her ancestry and she had a survivor's spirit too. Sometime I will tell you and her namesake all about her.  
  
************************  
For the record this baby's name is pronounced Tyr RAY sa, with an appropriately rolled Spanish R, not Ta RESCE a, part of the reason for the raised eyebrows. What? you though Ignatius was Irish? Beka *is* a natural redhead.  
*************************  
  
Some time later Dylan entered the room to find the family completely absorbed in each other. "Isn't it about time we took them home?" He said them carefully, absolutely certain that his first officer, Gaheris Rhade, had been completely honest when he admonished Dylan to never startle a Nietzschean male who was as intently absorbed in his children and their mother as Tyr was at that moment.  
  
At the sound of Dylan's voice Tyr turned to him with a thoughtful look, so absorbed had he been in the finger game he had been playing with Teresa. "Yes Captain, I think we should like that very much."  
  
Upon recognizing that she no longer held her father's full attention, the little girl made an indignant "EEP" and reached up to entwine a tiny finger in his beard. Turning back to face her and taking her hand in his Tyr deadpanned, "and are you already exercising your gender's skills at putting the male of the species in his place." As he completed his statement he instinctively ducked the cuff that Beka threw at him, and smiled at her indignant "Hmmph!"  
  
TBC 


	2. Chapter 2

"Home then" said Tyr realizing with some surprise that he actually thought of Andromeda as home. He reached down to pick up his son and found it also necessary to take Teresa into his arms, she who was not to be forestalled. He considered this for a moment, remembering the first time he had held Tamerlane and the feelings he had at that moment. He had thought then, but now realized, this little girl was his bond child, the one who would always be closest in his heart, closer than even any mate because she was his in a way that no mate could ever be. Of this he was certain.  
  
In front of him Beka picked up Victoria and rose to her feet, he caught her eye as she stood watching him arise from his musings. "What?"  
  
"She has you totally in her clutches, the stoic one is captured." She smiled at him, he shrugged in return.  
  
They entered the outer room and Tyr's eyes fell again on his children's tormentor, sitting there, he realized with sudden clarity, all to easily playing the roll of the one defeated. Tyr turned to Dylan behind him, willing himself not to show the tenseness that threatened to overwhelm him. "Too easy" he mouthed to Dylan. But now what? He was standing here, his back to his enemy, and two of his children in his arms.  
  
Dylan stepped around Tyr, who turned again to follow him, and motioned at the door with his head looking expectantly at the one sitting by the door. Who looked back at him utterly impasively, as if missing the silent message entirely. Something both Dylan and Tyr both knew *not* to be the case, and something which only solidified for them the realization that they were both kicking themselves for not coming to more rapidly.   
  
"They thought you might lead the way." Rommie addressed the alien, indicating Tyr and Dylan with her head.   
  
The Breakwraithe rose and turned toward the door. Tyr stopped and turned to Beka, placing the two children in her arms with a telling look. He smoothly lifted his weapons from their place beside Rommie and called out "Dylan?" causing Hunt to turn back to him. Dylan circled back and picked up his weapons while Tyr moved Beka behind him and stepped toward the door.   
  
With his weapons in his hands Dylan moved to back up Tyr while Rommie now took the rear behind Beka and the children. Their host turned back to look at them all, his face remained impassive as he pulled open the door and stepped through. Steeling himself for what he knew was to come, Tyr followed him, gauss gun at the ready.  
  
Whatever they had expected they were unprepared for the rapidness of the onslaught. Tyr fired left and Dylan right each making their shots count as they were continuously assailed. Tyr's first shot was his revenge for the whole scenario as The Breakwraite fell dead to the ground. With the three children in her arms all Beka could do was crouch behind the other two desperately hoping her body would shield the little ones. Rommie crouched beside her, limiting her weapon's fire to taking out immediate threats to Beka and the children. She would have to leave it to Dylan and Tyr to handle the general assault.  
  
After several minutes Tyr called over his shoulder to Dylan "This isn't going to get us anywhere, we need to move!"   
  
"Cover me"   
  
Tyr turned from his side to put his back to Beka and Rommie as his eyes swept back and forth his weapon keeping up rapid fire while Dylan crouched. Puling out a spare force lance Dylan rapidly set it for a proximity blast and rolled it in the direction of their 50 meter path to the main chamber. Rommie pulled Beka to her feet and the a split second after the explosion rocked the corridor the four of them ran. They had no idea what they would do when they reached their first goal.  
  
************************************************************  
Trance stirred beside Harper trying to convince herself that her growing disquiet was only a function of the time that had passed. But she could no longer delude herself, for she was absolutely certain of what was necessary. Somehow she had to get Harper to relocate the remote terminus of the tunnel that his fragile control held barely open. She had no idea if she could manage that task without losing his consciousness in the void between the two universes. 


	3. Chapter 3

Trance shook her head in confusion, 'Move the remote terminus?' she thought to herself, 'but why? how do I know that?" She shook her head again as the realization came to her. It was Tyr again; Tyr, who's fear was as palpable as the last time she had experienced it. But this time the fear wasn't for himself, it was for, the children, of course the children. She had listened to him so often, yet had she ever really listened? His survival was in the children. But all four of the children had to survive, she'd known that before, but hadn't really understood. Did Tyr? He thought he did, but no, so this was why she was really here.   
  
"Andromeda" Trance spoke urgently. The hologram materialized before her. "We have to get Harper to move the remote terminus, they'll never make it across the central chamber this time!"  
  
"Central chamber?" the hologram frowned at her.  
  
"Trust me."  
  
Andromeda quirked her eyebrows at her.  
  
"You have to help m..them."  
  
Andromeda sighed and made her decision. "How far?"  
  
Trance closed her eyes and concentrated on Tyr for several moments. When she opened them again she was certain. "200 meters, 5 degrees"  
  
Andromeda nodded and took her consciousness to join Harper.  
  
Harper's virtual image stood tensly within her matrix, endeavouring to remain calm as the colors swirled about him, threatening to assault him still.  
  
"Harper?" Andromeda said it gently, it wouldn't do to startle him. Harper opened his eyes. Anromeda was shocked momentarily by the look of deep pain in his eyes. She hadn't realized how painful this was for him, none of them had. "Trance says you need to move the remote terminus 200 meters, 5 degrees."  
  
Harper squeezed his eyes shut and seemed to stagger for a moment. If Trance had said it was necessary. In many ways he still didn't trust her, but he had no choice, she obviously knew things when none of the others did. He could do it gently, slowly and it wouldn't hurt as much, but he knew if Trance had sent the message gently and slowly might not be fast enough. He gathered his strength and reached out with his mind, only to be blown back, his virtual image hitting the *wall* of the matrix with a crash as he collapsed and slid down it.  
  
Trance jumped as the colors in the terminus before her changed their aspect from a lazy swirl to an agitated whirlwind, reminiscent of the flashes of lightening at the height of a violent storm. She turned as Harper's body beside her snapped back and he let out a scream of pain.  
  
At the other end of the canal the rest of the crew and the babies had reached the entrance to the chamber, pressing themselves along the wall to avoid detection as long as possible. Tyr peered out carefully, desperately wondering if his thoughts...he shook his head. 'What am I thinking? Focus!' He looked up again, to see the end of the canal, it's interior the aspect of a maelstorm, dancing about the confines of the chamber like the striking head of an angry snake. 'Now what?' he thought worriedly as he sank down to the floor. 


	4. Chapter 4

Tyr began to concentrate again, something told him it was important. 'No not something' he chided himself at his thoughts, he didn't want to admit what he knew to be true but it was necessary to do it. He knew this in the core of his being, anything else might lead to the death of his family and that was something he would not allow.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Trance struggled with herself as she moved to Harper's side. She had to get him conscious again or the canal to the other universe would collapse perhaps trapping the others there forever. As she reached down to lift him to a sitting position Andromeda popped into existance beside her concern clearly evident in her face. "You have to wake him!" she said urgently to Trance.  
  
"Harper!" Trance shook him gently at first but getting no response and noticing the maelstorm in front of them starting to collapse into itself she shook him vigorously and shouted "HARPER!" The engineer stirred beneath her hands and his eyes fluttered open confusion clear in them as he looked from Trance to Andromeda. "The tunnel" Trance continued, urgently pointing to the still collapsing maelstorm in front of them.  
  
Harper reached up to the port on his neck and readjusted the jack, closing his eyes as he did so. Beside him Andromeda popped out of existance again, only beating him to the matrix by seconds. As he arrived the pain was clear on his face and she reached out to steady him. He brushed her aside and turned again to reach for the colors closing his eyes as at first contact the pain radiated through his reaching hands. Ever so slowly the maelstorm calmed and the canal started to once again expand.  
  
Trance sat silently beside Harper, her eyes closed, her hand resting on his cheek. As she felt the pain once again rise within him she opened her eyes to see the tunnel calming before her.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Tyr turned to the others and whispered only as loudly as necessary for them all to hear, "Harper has lost control of the way back it would appear, it's not stable." Dylan winced and Beka dropped her eyes to the floor. Only Rommie seemed unaffected.   
  
"Give Harper time," she said quietly struggling to keep the turmoil inside herself from making itself present in her voice, "he'll come through." Beka and Dylan looked at her, hope still present in their eyes as Tyr carefully crept toward the corridor entrance again. He glanced out briefly. Their route home seemed to be steadying up and he noted one other thing that might be in their favor. The striking head of the serpent had cleared most of the occupants of the chamber. Those who remained appeared to be gathered diagonally across from him engrossed in some type of frenzied activity. He turned to the others, making his decision quickly, it would be now or never.  
  
"We need to go!" he shouted to the others.  
  
"Cover me!" shouted Dylan as he lept to take the lead. Tyr provided cover as Dylan moved across the chamber, dodging back and forth so he would not be an easy target. As Dylan safely reached the other side Tyr looked at Rommie,  
  
"Ship bring up the rear!" Tyr ordered Rommie as he took Beka's arm and helped her to her feet. Placing her to his side away from the activity in the other section of the chamber,and slightly behind him, he started across sheilding Beka and the babies as he swept his eyes around him in search of any danger. Roomie brought up the rear, also closely shielding Beka and the babies.   
  
Blasts began to fall around them as they neared the other side but soon stopped as Dylan provided cover and the others made it safely to the corridor where the canal opening now waited calmly.  
  
An eerie silence descended as they started toward the entrance and then a voice rang out from the chamber. "Mother and Father of the Universe! You may think you have won, but you have lost more and all hope is dashed for you and yours." Confusion showed on the face of all the others but there was no confusion on Tyr's as he stood unmoving, his eyes closed for a second. He then sprang into action moving to Dylan. "Weapons." was all he said reaching out toward Dylan.   
  
"Send Beka and the children back, Rommie and I will stay with you" said Dylan. Tyr held out his hand again saying, "We can't expect the Little Proffesor to hold this route open forever. Take care of them for me, they will need you." Taking the proffered pouch from Dylan and adding the supply to his own.   
  
"Tyr?" It was Beka, shock and confusion in her voice. He turned to her deep pain on his face. "You are the Mother of the Universe and all four of my children will need you now." The confusion in Beka's face grew even stronger as Tyr continued, "Dylan knows, and Trance knows more then she has ever revealed." A rueful look came over his face and his head shook negatively as his eyes met hers. "We can't leave the potential for others here." It was barely a whisper and Beka's face registered understanding shock.  
  
Dylan quickly grabbed Tyr's hand, nodded to him and then turned to the others taking hold of Beka's arm. "Let's go!" he said leading Beka toward the tunnel. Rommie watched Tyr for a moment then quickly followed the others.  
  
Tyr turned and moved to the chamber entrance again, standing boldly at the center of the corridor exit he faced his enemy. The new Breakwraite stood before the father, a large container in his hands. There was no doubt in Tyr's mind as to what was in the container. He sprang into action moving toward his enemy with lightening speed and wrenched it away from him, kicking out against his opponent's legs, dropping the Breakwraite to his knees. He had no chance however, as he was felled by a mortal shot that tore into his back and dropped him onto it on the floor of the chamber.  
  
Hugging the container to his side as he fell he reached into the weapon's pouch and pulled out a plasma grenade. He closed his eyes and saw for the last time the faces of all four of his children. "Tamerlane," he whispered with his dying breath, "you have your allies. Live well my children." Tyr Anasazi's last act was the activation of the plasma grenade that destroyed the chamber and everything in it.  
  
******************************************************************************************  
  
In the canal the others moved carefully through the swirling colors, slowly making their way back to the Andromeda. The emerged back to her decks to see Trance carefully supporting an obviously weakened Harper. Trance looked to Dylan with confusion when Tyr did not appear. "There's something else that had to be done," Dylan explained quickly, "can Harper hold out a bit longer? I'm going back to help Tyr."   
  
Trance had started to tell Dylan she wasn't certain Harper could hold out much longer when a look of utter pain and devastation appeared on her face. "Tyr's gone." she whispered quietly raising already tearing eyes to Dylan.  
  
Behind Dylan, Beka sank to the deck mumbling no repeatedly as she closed her eyes. Behind her the canal snapped shut as Harper reached the limit of his endurance.  
  
All that was heard in the chamber for a long time were the sound of tears and the cooing of the babies in Beka's lap.  
  
Fin 


End file.
